5 Carolina Panthers players who didn’t meet expectations in 2021

Sam Darnold – Carolina Panthers QB

I debated going with Christian McCaffrey here, but since e failed to meet expectations due to injuries rather than performance, Sam Darnold has to be the guy.

While Darnold didn’t have many expectations from the fans before the season, the team had plenty considering that after they traded for him, the front office picked up the fifth-year option that will pay him $18.85 million next season no matter what.

After a 3-0 start in which he looked decent, Darnold completely fell apart and was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league, just as he did while with the New York Jets.

Darnold started 11 of 12 games he played in and had a poor 71.9 quarterback rating. He threw nine touchdowns to 13 interceptions and was nowhere near a starting-caliber quarterback.

There were some flashes. But for a fourth-year pro that was drafted No. 3 overall, this simply isn’t enough.

Darnold will certainly be with the Carolina Panthers next year as nobody will want to take his contract. However, the question remains whether the team will decide to give him another chance.

With how badly Darnold performed this season, if the Panthers do in fact start him again, the fanbase might completely revolt.